


May I Have This Dance? Or T(You)?

by Myoneloveismusic



Category: Batman - All Media Types, DCU
Genre: M/M, Slow Build, Trust Issues, dance au, pairs dancing, professional dance au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-09
Updated: 2020-08-09
Packaged: 2021-03-06 01:35:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,356
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25805209
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Myoneloveismusic/pseuds/Myoneloveismusic
Summary: Tim had been dancing professionally for years as part of Wayne Dance Co. He was a renowned soloist proud of his accomplishments despite the creative blocks he'd had in the past. But when a new member of the company is personally introduced to him by Bruce Wayne as his new dancing partner, Tim is going to have to learn how to leave the past behind. Will their new partnership light the stage on fire, or will they be unable to dance to the same rhythm?
Relationships: Tim Drake/Jason Todd
Comments: 3
Kudos: 46





	May I Have This Dance? Or T(You)?

**Author's Note:**

> This is an au I have been dreaming of writing for a long time and I'm very excited to finally get to share it. I hope ya'll are ready for some emotional times as these boys learn how they can possibly dance together and conquer the world of pairs' dancing. 
> 
> <3 MOLIM

Tim groaned as his alarm went off. He rolled over and burrowed further under the blankets, hoping to block out the sounds long enough that he could either go back to sleep or they would stop and then he could go back to sleep. 

He was tired and lately the last thing he wanted to do was go into the studio and practice. He knew that it wasn’t really something he could afford to do, especially when a string of poor performances or sub-par results could get him kicked out of the company, but motivation was lacking when it came to his dancing lately. 

He sighed and rolled over, no longer able to ignore the cheery tune that began to repeat itself for the fourth time. He grabbed his phone and shut it off, looking at the notifications filling his screen from Youtube. 

He unlocked his phone and opened the app, looking at his inbox after his most recent video that he’d posted. Sam Smith’s “Too Good at Goodbyes” was something he’d wanted to dance to for a while and since he wasn’t getting anywhere with his solo preparations, posting a video to his channel was the best alternative. It at least made him feel like he was being productive in the face of a creative drought. 

Tim scrolled through the comments, the small shred of energy he had to get out of bed instantly disappearing. 

_Love the choreography, but I can’t help but notice how much sadness it holds._

_Did you lose someone recently? You’re dancing seems like a cry for help or a need for connection._

_Wow this really hit home, I’ve been feeling lonely myself and can’t believe someone else is going through the same thing._

_I hope you find what you’re looking for. I love all your videos but this one almost breaks my heart with how intense your emotions are._

Tim sighed and shut off his phone. He hadn’t realized how vulnerable he’d been while filming it. The song rang true to him when he’d first listened to it and that’s part of the reason he wanted to dance to it. 

But that didn’t make it any easier to face his own reality. Things had been getting harder for a long time and he didn’t want to face the fact that he might not be able to dance much longer if this kept up. He might not be able to do much of anything for much longer. 

Tim threw off the covers and climbed out of bed. He grabbed his comfiest dance clothes and shuffled into the bathroom, brushing his teeth and cleaning up as best he could before he got dressed. 

He knew Bruce was concerned over his recent regressions, but he thankfully hadn’t said anything yet, just giving him reminders that he needed to settle on something for his upcoming competition soon. Not that that was going any better than the rest of his life. He didn’t even have a rough outline yet. Hell, he didn’t even know what music he wanted to dance to. 

Tim grabbed his bag and made sure he had at least one protein bar to get him through the day. Maybe if he was lucky today was going to be a good day at the studio and he could spend a couple hours forgetting how sad his life was and actually be productive in outlining his choreography. 

He locked his apartment and jogged down the stairs, weaving through a couple of people who were taking their time strolling down the sidewalk. Once again, he was glad he lived within walking distance of the studio. It saved time when he had to go to practice and meant he was able to miss any traffic on the streets or public transport. 

Tim pushed through the door to the studio and nodded at the secretary stationed at the front desk. She smiled at him and went back to eating her breakfast.

He jogged up the stairs to the practice rooms and walked past the first few, aiming for one at the end of the hallway. 

“Tim do you have a minute?” 

He paused and turned to find Bruce standing in the hallway behind him. 

“Sure, what’s up?” 

“Come in here,” he said, waving Tim over. 

Tim swallowed, feeling a spike of anxiety. He hoped Bruce wasn’t pulling him into a practice room to try and force him to recite what he had of his solo performance. That would only lead to an awkward conversation. 

His anxiety dissipated into a wave of confusion when he stepped into the room and found a taller man standing in the middle of the floor, his hands shoved into his pockets. He didn’t look like someone Tim would peg as a dancer with the stubble decorating his chin and the leather jacket he was wearing. 

“Tim, I would like you to meet Jason Todd. He’s the newest member of our company. Jason, this is Tim.” 

Jason nodded at Tim and Tim nodded back. 

“Nice to meet you, Jason,” Tim said before looking back at Bruce. “Is that all you needed? Normally you do something more formal when we welcome a new dancer.” 

Bruce chuckled. “Don’t worry. The reception is planned for Friday. I haven’t lost my touch in that regard. Rather, Dick won’t let me lose my touch when it comes to embarrassing new dancers during their first week.” 

“Good because that would make everything we had to go through really unfair.” 

Jason cleared his throat. “You’re starting to make me nervous,” he said, scratching his cheek. 

“Ah, nothing you need to worry about,” Bruce said, waving away his comments. “But let me get to the real reason I called you in here, Tim. Jason here has recently recovered from an injury and with his skillset and build I was thinking he would make a good match for you. I think you should give pairs dancing a shot.” 

Tim’s stomach turned over, discomfort and dread washing over him. “I’m not sure that’s the best idea, Bruce…” he hedged. “Especially since I need to be preparing a solo routine for an upcoming competition.” 

“A competition you won’t be competing in if you don’t have a rough choreography sample to show me by the end of the week,” Bruce said, raising an eyebrow. 

Tim grimaced. 

“So you’re the type to always wait until the last minute to throw something together?” Jascon scoffed. “I’m surprised you’ve lasted this long as a professional.” 

“What?” Tim asked, glaring at Jason. “Even if things don’t come together until closer to my performance date, at least I’m asked to dance at competitions and conventions. Better than dancing with someone who hasn’t even made a name for himself.” 

“The hell-” Jason started, stalking towards him. 

“That’s enough,” Bruce said, moving between them. “The two of you met each other a couple of minutes ago and are already making baseless accusations. Tim, you’re aware that plenty of experienced and renowned dancers haven’t interacted with you before. Jason, you know that sometimes it’s difficult being creative when you’re trying to choreograph your next routine. There’s no reason for the two of you to think either of you is on a level above the other. You’re both skilled in what you do which is why I’m going to give you a choice to make up for what you’re accusing each other of.” 

“A choice?” Tim asked, feeling nervous. 

“Yes. This week, you’re going to choreograph two routines that need to at least be passable by Friday. One is going to be your solo routine that you’ve been putting off Tim. And the other is going to be a pairs routine you’ll both dance. The strength and originality of the dance will decide which will be pursued.” 

“And if I decide to only work on my solo dance?” Tim asked. 

“If you decide to undermine my request by only choreographing something that will benefit you, I’m pulling you from the solo competition. And Jason, if you refuse to cooperate and aren’t willing to work together on this, I’m revoking your acceptance into this studio. This will be your first performance as a member of the company and if it’s not satisfactory or headed towards the standards we hold ourselves to, you can start looking for a new company to audition for.” 

Tim felt his stomach sink, panic once again closing in now that he was faced with his frustrating fight against his limitations. Jason looked just as shocked, the unexpected challenge and uncertainty leaving him reeling. 

“That’s all for now. Get to work. You’ve only got five days to figure out what you’re going to show me,” Bruce said, leaving them alone in the studio. 

The door clicked shut with a type of finality that nearly sent Tim to his knees. 

“This can’t be happening,” Tim muttered, trying to find something to grasp onto. “This has to be some kind of cruel joke.” 

“Cruel joke?!” Jason hissed, stalking over to him. He grabbed him by the front of his shirt and pulled him up onto his toes. “You’ve just fucking jeopardized my chances of being part of one of the highest ranked dance companies in the world, you fuckwad.” 

“Maybe you should’ve asked if you were being recruited to dance pairs in the first place,” Tim said, struggling to pull out of his grip and frustrated when his feet did nothing more than slide against the smooth surface of the floor. 

Jason shoved him backwards, making him stumble. “Whatever,” he said, angrily pulling off his jacket and throwing it across the floor to land sloppily on his duffle bag. Tim was a little caught off guard at the defined muscles that had been hiding under the fabric, now on full display thanks to the tank he was wearing. 

“Let’s just get to work. I’m not about to let your selfishness get in the way of my position here,” he continued, easing into some gentle stretches. 

Tim scoffed. “You can get to work on the duet. I’m going to start working on my solo performance.” 

“You can play around with your solo act on your own time. We’re both here which means it’s time for us to work together. I’m not going to be kept waiting just to get booted from the company at the end of the week.” 

Tim shook his head and grabbed his phone. He connected to the bluetooth speaker system and set his playlist to shuffle, hoping the music and his own warm-ups would be enough to block Jason’s annoying presence from his mind. 

As he felt the gentle stretch in his muscles he wondered why he hadn’t just done to his own practice room. But it was too late now. He was pissed off enough that he wasn’t going to be the first one to back down. Jason could sit in the corner and watch him work or leave. 

Movement in the corner of his eye caught his attention and he looked over to find Jason with his eyes closed, intently listening to the music and trying to match his movements to the beat. 

Tim grit his teeth, glad when the song changed. He shook out his hands during the brief pause and found a spot in the middle of the floor, ignoring Jason’s angry glare. The next song was upbeat and Tim knew it would be a decent song for a contemporary dance. 

He squatted down in a ball, holding his head in his hands. He felt out the beat and bounced on the balls of his beat for a handful of counts before he jumped up, spreading his feet and rolling his head around in a circle. 

He hoped he didn’t look as ridiculous as he felt and Jason’s snicker wasn’t doing anything to help. He glanced at him and glared, irritated as Jason executed a perfect set of steps that were essential to hip-hop dancers. 

Tim let out a breath. He’d done a mixture of ballet and contemporary in performances before. Maybe that’s what this one was calling for. He eased into fifth position, waiting for the right moment to prep and pirouette. 

Jason snickered and Tim glared at him. “Is that the best you can do?” he asked, invading Tim’s space. 

Tim stood as tall as he could, not willing to let Jason intimidate him with his size. “I’d like to see you do better.” 

He smirked and stepped back. Tim watched, more than a little surprise as Jason completed the same pirouette with perfect form. 

“I wouldn’t have taken you for the ballet type,” Tim grumbled. 

Jason wrapped an arm around his waist and pulled him against his chest. “There’s a lot you don’t know about me or my dancing, but you decided that you were going to judge me based on my appearance and what you hadn’t heard of my name.” 

“Well, that’s…” Tim started. He tried to come up with some response, but nothing came to mind other than the fact Jason had a point. He hadn’t given him much consideration, mostly due to his own selfish reasons and desires. 

He gasped when his feet were knocked out from underneath him and Jason held him upside down, hooking Tim’s knees over one of his shoulders. Tim’s hands scrambled against the floor, trying to help stabilize himself to keep him from swinging around. And stop him from landing on his head if Jason decided he was going to drop him. 

“What the hell are you doing?!” he cried, feeling a little breathless. 

“Thinking.” 

“And you had to get me in this position to do that?” he cried, trying to catch Jason’s eyes in the mirror. 

“Well, we weren’t making any progress on our dance until now so I thought a change of position might do us some good.” 

“All it’s doing is making the blood rush to my head,” he snapped. 

Jason heaved a sigh. “So needy.” He kept a secure hand on Tim’s thighs before wrapping his other arm around Tim’s back. Tim was flipped upright at dizzying speed, settling against Jason’s side in a comfortable hold, his feet still several feet off the ground. 

“I...what?” he asked, trying to take stock of their surroundings. He hesitantly met Jason’s eyes, not noticing the music change until Jason started moving. 

Jason spun slowly, holding Tim’s gaze. Tim gripped Jason’s shoulders, silently directing Jason to take hold of his hips. He lifted him and Tim tilted his head back, bending his knees to his toes curled upwards towards his head. 

Jason slowly lowered him to the floor, taking one of Tim’s hands to spin him in a circle. Tim stopped, facing away from him and spread his arms, falling backwards into Jason’s secure hold. 

Jason dragged him backwards several steps before pushing him forward. Tim threw his arms behind him, for some reason trusting Jason to catch him. But he did, stopping him from falling forward to the floor. 

Jason pulled him upright, pressing his chest to Tim’s back. Tim turned his head, looking over his shoulder at Jason. He cupped the back of his head, giving in to the position and intimacy for a moment before he turned in Jason’s hold and pushed him away. 

Jason looked shocked at his suddenly empty arms. Tim smirked and pivoted on his back foot, turning into arabesque, keeping his chest and hands high. 

Fingers wrapped around the ankle of his lifted foot and he nearly stumbled, looking back over his shoulder at Jason. Jason shoved his foot down, forcing him to come out of the posture. 

They both stopped, staring at each other as the music ended. 

Their dance had been short, but Tim knew there was something there. The back and forth had even been a little fun. Tim was so used to dancing on his own after so many years, but he still had his moments where he felt lonely even among the company. 

“Well, that wasn’t so bad, was it?” Jason asked, crossing his arms. “You managed to stand my presence for half a song and we came up with some pretty decent moves in the minute and a half we were goofing off.” 

“It’s definitely the start of something. We could incorporate more of what we started figuring out at the end there. Make it sort of a like a tug of war kind of deal.” 

Jason nodded. “Considering how this morning has gone, I don’t think that’s a bad idea at all. The real question is: what are we going to dance to? The music we just had wasn’t a poor fit, but I think if we had something with more tension that would add to the effect, especially if we want to make it out to be a fight. We’ll have to choose something soon if we’re going to finish outlining the rest of it by Friday.” 

Tim snapped back to reality. Dancing with Jason had offered some amusement, but he’d forgotten what they were really doing. The whole reason they were together right now was because Bruce wanted to prove a point. And he couldn’t show up on Friday without a solo dance planned. 

“I don’t really care, just pick something out,” he muttered, turning back to the mirror. “While you’re working on that I need to start figuring out my solo.” 

“Are you seriously back to that?” Jason scoffed. “We just made some decent progress and you’re already ready to stop the momentum?” 

“Unlike you I have two dances to prepare,” Tim said, raising his head. “You can afford to do a little more work for this one since I need to choreograph an entire solo performance myself.” 

“Fine, whatever,” he huffed, storming over to his bag. He slung it over his shoulder and gripped his leather jacket in his hand. “I’ll be back with a track whenever I figure it out. And when I get back here, you better be ready to work on our dance and have your solo figured out.” 

“Yeah, we’ll see about that,” Tim muttered, wincing when Jason slammed the door shut behind him. He let out a long breath and tried to shake off the tense feeling that was gripping his shoulders. He had work to do. He couldn’t stand around worrying that he might have hurt a random stranger’s feelings. 

Even if he was a pretty good dancer and seemed to have no problem picking Tim up and spinning him around like he weighed nothing. 

“Ugh, damn him and his big muscles,” he muttered, stomping over to his phone to find something else to listen to. 

He hit shuffle and even though the ballad that filtered through the speakers wasn’t his first choice, he didn’t want to stand around looking for a good enough song when he could be focusing on his choreography. 

Tim moved to the corner of the room, trying different ballet positions. He wasn’t sure if he wanted his arms in the air or at his waste. Nothing felt right. Eventually he gave up and moved to the center of the room, hoping that would give him more inspiration. He wasn’t planning on doing an entrance from offstage so starting from the corner didn’t really make that much sense. 

He found a spot in the middle of the floor, meeting his eyes in the mirror. He looked tired and miserable. And like he didn’t have an ounce of inspiration or creativity. Which really wasn’t that far off considering how much he was struggling on one dance. 

The music changed and started playing “Too Good at Goodbyes.” He tentatively started going through the moves he’d used in his video, watching himself like a hawk and finding a long list of criticisms that proved this dance wouldn’t be good enough for the high level of competition he’d be faced with. 

Tim dropped his arms and stomped over to his phone. If anything this would be the last time he’d change the track. He just couldn’t dance to something he’d thrown together when he needed to start thinking about his competition. 

**Author's Note:**

> [Tumblr](http://my-one-love-is-music.tumblr.com/)
> 
> [Twitter](https://twitter.com/m_o_l_i_m)


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